Recording and supervisory attachment



Jan. 20. 1 25.

B. RICHARDS RECORDINQ AND SUPERVISORY ATTACHMENT Fil ed 0st; 28, 1919,

2 Sheets-Sheet l a. RICHARDS RECORDING AND SUPERVISORY ATTACHMENT Filed 00?.- 28, -l9l9 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 20, 1925.

PATENT OFFICE.

UNITED STATES BENJAMIN RICHARDS, OF KENILVIORTH, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BY MES'NE ASSIGN- MEN'IS, TO DETEX WATCHCLOCK CORPORATION, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORA- TION OF DELAWARE.

RECORDING AND SUPERVISORY ATTACHMENT.

Application filed October 28, 1919. Serial No. 334,012.

To all whom. it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN RICHARDS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kenilworth, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Recording and Supervisory Attachments, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in recording attachments. More particularly, it is here described as an attachment that may be applied to valves used in sprinkler systems ar *anged for fire protection for showing whether each valve is open or closed, but it may be used in other situations.

A sprinkler system ought to be so reliable that it will act without fail on the occurrence of the conditions under which it is expected to act. Yet fire losses are constantly happening because of the valve controlling the water supply of a supposedly automatic sprinkler system being closed at the time of fire. Such closures may happen properly in various ways, and also improperly, or happening properly may be allowed improperly to continue by neglect. The present invention provides for a record to show whether or not any certain identified valve is in service condition, as regards being open or closed and showing the time at which the record was made. It is one of the particular purposes of this invention to provide for attaining these results with a valve of the type in which no external part has a longitudinal motion. In such a valve it requires a multiplicity of rotations to effect a complete opening or closing movement. As a partially close condition is only less objectionable than a wholly closed condition, apparatus is de sired which will indicate closure in such case and will equally prevent the making of a record. It is also desirable that the apparatus be compact and secure against tampering. The problem is complicated by the fact that although each revolution of the valve wheel or stem is like every other rev olution of the same, it is desired to have only a certain one or two of the revolutions in a complete valve movement effective for the apparatus in question. The invention accomplishes its object by providing a diminutive rectilinear replica of the valve movement beside and parallel to the valve stem,

actuated by power derived from the valve stem whenever it is moved. Apparatus is further provided and arranged to be actuated by any desired part of this replica motion, as for example by that part which corresponds to the one or two initial turns of the stem in direction to close the valve from a wide open position, to co-operate with the record producing apparatus in such a way as to prevent the making of a record.

Various devices may be used to make the record, and various means employed to prevent the making of a record. For illustration the invention is shown as it may be applied in apparatus where a cover and lock are provided for some part of the recording apparatus which must be reached and manipulated by the watchman in order to make the record. The lock is controlled by the first mentioned apparatus, associated with the valve, and is automatically locked or unlocked by the shifting of the valve from normal to abnorn'ial position, or the reverse. The cover is arranged to close automatically. lVhen everything is normal, the record can be made showing normal condition, at any time, as by the watchman opening the cover and doing whatever is necessary with the part within, as, for example, taking the distinctive key which is hung on a chain within the container, according to one system with which the invention may be used, and applying it to his portable clock according to any of several systems already well known for watchmens clocks. But if at any time before his visit the valve has been set in abnormal position, and so continues, he finds the door of the container automatically locked, and cannot make a record. The absence of record relating to a particular valve, at the time and on the card provided for it, shows either that the watchman has not visited the valve, or that the valve is in abnormal condition. Either situation constitutes a warning.

lVhile the general purpose may be accomplished in various ways, the present application has especial reference to specific means first shown in my co-pending application Serial No. 166,788, wherein a fine threaded screw surfaced sleeve on a rotating valve stem, when it turns, produces the diminutive replica of valve motion in a nut which it sets in various positions of rec- Ftilinear travel, where it acts as a cam to control a lock that in turn controls accessibility ot'the part of the recording apparatus which has to be used in order 'to make a record; and it is intended that the patent shall cover, by suitable expression in the appended claims, whatever features of patentable novelty exist in the features disclosed in this respect.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of apparatus embodying the invention, partly in section;

Figure 2 is an end elevation of a fragment of the same, with the stem and casing in section; V

Figure 3 is a detail of a modification, in side elevation corresponding to part of Figure 1;

Figure i is an end elevation of the same;

Figure is a side elevation showing the relation of the foregoing parts to water supply system, being on a smaller scale, with a differentform of apparatus embodying the invention; and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary similar view showing a different circuit-controlling device.

Referring to the drawings, the valve body is marked 1, the yoke 1, the valve stem 2 and its wheel 11 the valve being of the type. in which the wheel and stem rotate in position, without movement in direction'of the axis, to open and close the valve. On the stem is a cylindrical sleeve 38 secured in any suitable way between the body and wheel,- having on its GXtBIlOl' surface a screw thread preterably of closer pitch than that of the valve (not shown) on the same stem. This is the connecting means for the parts which actuate the control apparatus. A box 4, preferably metallic, provided to cover this, is adapted to be made fast to the valve body l-by a suitable projecting part eton one or both sides of the body to which the hot; i is thus secured by bolts 6. The box can be put into position with the wheel 11 removed;

and can then be further secured by a wire and metallic seal 10. This provides so that the box 4t and its contents can be set in any desired predetermined position on the body 1 and stem 2 without it being possible for svithout breaking the seal. reason the mechanism within it is inaccesanyone to remove it, or change its position,

sible to anyone who might wish to tamper with it, except as the part of the recording apparatus contained in compartn'ient or upper part 27 of the box 4 may be reached through a door 29, in the course of ordinary operation ofthe device. lVithin the box t, a lever 15 isprovided, supported on a pivot 13 conveniently held in two internal bosses 14:, or otherwise suitably held, installed through a sealed opening 13 if necessary,

For the same and having an arm 12 which extends with a yoke to each side of the valve stem at such an angle and position that it can bear against a cam surface or abutment 40. The latter is on a nut 3 which is engaged by the screw sleeve 38 and is prevented from rotating by fitting box a. The arm 12 has sufiicient play so that-it can hang as illustrated in Figure 1 or will be lifted by the abutment 40 when the nut is moved along the sleeve to a predetermined position. The

other arm of this lever is marked 15, extends arm '12 and thus lifts the arm 15 so that;

the latter does not engage the post 29. And the nut and sleeve on the stem are set so that this corresponds with the open position of the valve, the nut moving away from the arm 12 enough on the first turn or two of the stem toward closing the valve to let that arin and the latch 15 descend so as to lock the door 29. A suitable stop 20, here shown as 2. hook, engages a part of the lever to prevent it from descending too far. lVithin the compartment is a watcliman's key 30 of any ordinary or suitable type, by which a watchman can make a record on his portable watchmans clock. He cannot get the door 29 open to use this key unless the. position of the nut, which COlTBSPOi'lClS to the position of the valve that is being supervised, has set the latch 15 open; and so an absence of record by him indicates that the valve '7 closed, or at leastthat it is not open to the prescribed degree; or that he has not visited the station. a

Figure 5 shows on a smaller scale the complete system of supply pipe O and valve therein and container for the control apparatus which, in this case, is iudicatedas being a magneto 30, the same being typical of a fixed electrical, system connecting through wires 30 with a central recording appliance (not shown) according to any ordinary system now in use, or some other suitable system. The same is indicated in Figure 1 by showing the opening 32 through which a pair of insulated wires may enter the boX to whatever electrical appliance may be there to be operated by the \atchman on his visit, in place of the key which is portrayed. Such an appliance might, for example, be a circuit-controllingdevice of the simplest type, such as a push button 30, as indicated in Figure 6. In either case, and regardless of the particular nature of the recorder system with which the box is equipped it is an important feature that the nut does its work at one particular small part of the total travel which it has, small in .proportion to the total rotation of the stem to move the valve from wide open to shut tight, and located in the initial part of that travel.

A form of nut that may be used with advantage, if preferred, is shown in Figure 3, marked 3. In that case, the nut is rectangular in end elevation, and the sides are equal in form and dimension, but they are each rounded from the direction of the axis so that the nuts contact with the side of the box, which restrains its rotation, is a point contact. This reduces the frictional binding as the nut moves along, and maintains the weight of the nut on the sleeve instead of dragging it on the side of the box.

The device thus combines in itself automatically a record of the watchmans faithful attention to duty in visiting the assigned parts of the premises under his care, and a record that the valve at each such place is open, together with the time of such visit and condition. He cannot make his record unless he visits the place, nor can he make it even then, unless the valve is open; and any standard watchmans apparatus of tested reliability can be used to record the time and station.

If it happens, in any case, that the normal position of the valve is closed, instead of open, as is usually needed in sprinkler systems, the apparatus will naturally be arranged accordingly.

Although here shown applied to a valve with rotary stationary stem and wheel, the invention might beapplied to a valve having either of these actuating parts rotary, the screw surfaced sleeve 01' cylinder being attached to whichever of those parts is ro tary, but is stationary as regards longitu dinal movement.

In case of a simple circuit-controlling de ice such as a push button the apparatus may be guarded against unauthorized actuation by providing a lock 29" for the door 29, which can be opened only by a key entrusted to the watchman; this being in addition to the protective automatic lock 1529'.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination, with a gate valve having a rotary actuating stem, of a recorder adapted to be operated independently of the valve; and means to prevent operation of the recorder when the gate is out of its normal position, said means comprising an element mounted for motion in the axial direction; a connection thereto from said rotary rotary in the said axially moving element controls the recorder.

2. The combination, with a gate valve having a rotary actuating part, of a. re corder adapted to be operated independently of the valve; and means to prevent operation of the recorder when the gate is out of its normal position, said means comprising a screw on the rotary part; a nut engaged therewith; means preventing the nut from rotating while permitting it motion in axial direction; and means whereby said nuts motion controls the recorder.

The combination, with a gate valve having a rotary stem, of a recorder adapted to be operated independently of the valve; and means to prevent operation of the recorder comprising a screw ar 'anged on the axis of the stem; a nut engaged therewith; means preventing the nut from rotating while permitting it motion in the axial direction; and means whereby said nuts motion on a movement of the stem which moves the valve from its normal position controls the recorder to prevent its operation.

at. The combination, with a gate valve having a rotary actuating part, of a recorder adapted to be operated independently of the valve; a screw on the rotary part; a nut engaged therewith; means preventing the nut from rotating while permit-ting it motion in the axial direction; a lever, engaged by the nut when the nut is in its position corresponding to normal position of the valve; and means whereby said lever controls the operation of the recorder, permitting or preventing recording as it is or is not engaged by the nut.

The con'ibination, with a gate valve having a rotary actuating part. of a recorder adapted to be operated independently of the valve; a screw on the rotary part.-

a nut engaged therewith; a box secured on the valve, enclosing the screw and an actuating part of the recorder: a cover for the box; and connecting means whereby the position of the nut controls the cover.. to permit access to said actuating part of the recorder during that part of the travel oi the nut which corresponds to the normal position of the valve and to prevent it in other parts of the travel thereoi.

6. A combination, with a gate valve having a rotary actuating part, of a recorder adapted to be operated independently of the valve; an element and connections to it from the rotating part to reproduce in miniature the movement of the valve when its said actuating part is rotated; and means actuated by the movement in miniature to control the actuation of said recorder according to the position of the valve.

7. In combination, a valve, a container, a watchmans key secured within said container, and means for preventing access to the interior of said container when said valve is closed.

8. In combination, a watchmans-key receptacle, means for controlling access to said receptacle, a valve, and means for con trolling said first named means by operation of said valve.

9. A supervisory mechanism comprising in combination, a watclnnans-key receptacle, a door for controlling accessthereto, a valve, means for operating said valve, and means controlled by said valve-operating means I01 controlling said door.

10. In combination a valve, means comprising a rotatable stem for operating the same, screw-threads on said stem, a screwthreaded member cooperating with the threads on said stem and constrained against rotation, a manually operable record-producing device, and means controlled by said member for controlling the operativeness of said device.

11. In combination, a valve, means comprising a rotatable stem for operating the same and provided with screw-ti reads, screw-threaded member cooperating with said first-named threads, means constraining said member against rotation, a pivoted arnrcontrolled by said member, and a manually operable record-producing device controlled by said arm,

12. The combination of a valve having an actuating part, with a key adapted to actuate a recorder indicating the particular valve, a box for enclosing said key and having a door and lock, and means where by the valve-actuating part by its movement to actuate the valve operates said lock.

13. In combination, a valve, means comprising a rotatable stem for operating said valve, a helical screw rotated with said stem.

and constrained against movement in the direction of its axis, a non-rotatable memher provided With threads cooperating with said screw, a manually operable recordproducing device, and means controlled by said member for controlling the operativeness of said device.

14.. In combination, a valve, means for operating the same, a controlled member, mechanism actuated by said means for causing said member to move longitudinally an amount proportional to but less than the movement of the valve, a watchmansrecording-key, and means controlled by said member for preventing record-producing use of said key When the said valve is in abnormal condition. 7

15. In combination, a valve, means comprising a rotatable element for operating said valve, a helical screw rotated by said element and constrained against movement in the direction of its axis, a non-rotatable member provided with threads cooperating 16. In combination, a valve and rotatable stem therefor, a screw, means for simultaneously operating said stem and actuat-' mg said screw, a manually operable recordproducing device, and means actuated by said screw for controlling manual operation of said device.

17. A supervisory mechanism-as set forth record-producing device is a watchmans key.

18. A supervisory mechanism as set forth in claim 16 in which the manually operable record-producing device is a watchmans key. I

19. The combination Witha valve and a separately operable watchmanis key for making a record indicating that particular valve, of locking means for preventing operation of said key except when the'valve is in a predetermined position, and means for recording the time when the first mentioned record is made.

20. In combination, a valve, operating means therefor, a. separately operable watchmans key for making a'record indicating that particular valve, means for recording the time when said record was made, and locking mechanism operated by actuation of the valve for preventing operation of said key except when the valve is in a predetermined position.

21. The combination with a valve and a rotatable stem for operating .it, of a recording device and means controlling the record ing thereof; said means being movable in the longitudinal direction of the stem to effect said control and being engaged with and so moved by the valve stem.

22. 111 combination, a valve, operating means therefor, a separately operable watchmans key for making a record ii'idicating that particular valve, a watchmans clock for recording the time when said record was made, and locking mechanism operated by actuation of the valve for preventing operation of said key except When the valve is in a. predetermined position.

Signed at Boston, Massachusetts, this twenty-seventh day of October, 1919.

BENJAMIN aronaans.

7 in claim 10 in which the manually operable 

